Beverages frequently need to be prepared and then heated to reduce microbial load and achieve desired shelf life. These beverages have to be further filled hot into containers (e.g., container made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or glass bottles and/or aluminum cans) and sealed so as to eliminate microbial contamination, again for a desired shelf life of the finished product-container combination. These containers can then be cooled down to below about 100° F. to reduce product degradation, to allow for application of labeling to the containers, and for extended storage during warehousing at the manufacturing facility, and for extended storage during shipping, warehousing at distributor and eventually at customer facilities and/or consumer homes prior to eventual consumption.
Conventional systems and methods typically employ large premix and even larger blending tanks to formulate a product. An example of a conventional system 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a premix tank 12 having a capacity of about 800 gallons can be used for the mixing of dry ingredients from dry ingredient source 14 and water source 16. The resulting mixture 18 can be fed from premix tank 12 to a first blend tank 20 having a capacity of about 10,000 gallons via pump 19. In addition to mixture 18, additional ingredients can be fed to first blend tank 20. For example, water from water source 16, sucrose from sucrose source 22, and fructose from fructose source 24 can be fed to first blend tank 20. The same ingredients can also be fed to a second blend tank 26 having a capacity of about 10,000 gallons in parallel with first blend tank 20. The resulting mixture 28 of the first blend tank 20 and the resulting mixture 30 of the second blend tank 26 can be combined or individually inputted to a pump 32. Pump 32 can pump mixture 34 to balance tank 36 having a capacity of about 800 gallons. Stream 38 can exit balance tank 36 and be inputted to heater 40 via pump 42. At heater 40, stream 38 enters at a first temperature T1 (e.g. about 90° F.) and exits as stream 44 having a second temperature T2 (e.g. about 205° F.).
Stream 44 flows through hold product loop 46 for a period of time (e.g., about 30-33 seconds) to allow for the microbial load in stream 44 to be reduced at second temperature T2. Stream 44 can then enter trim cooler 48 at second temperature T2, and exit as stream 50 having a third temperature T3 (e.g., about 185° F.). Temperature T3 can be a suitable temperature which the container material can withstand without deformation or adverse impact when filled with stream 50. Stream 50 can be placed in filler supply tank 52 having a capacity of about 500 gallons. Stream 50 can exit filler supply tank 52 and be pumped by pump 54 to filler station 56, wherein it can be placed in containers 58.
As shown in FIG. 1, stream 50 can also be fed to filler return tank 60 having a capacity of about 500 gallons when it is desired to send stream 50 or a portion thereof to balance tank 36. Stream 50 can be pumped by pump 62 to divert cooler 64. Stream 50 can enter divert cooler 64 at temperature T3 and exit at temperature T4 (e.g., about 95° F.). Stream 50 can be cooled in divert cooler 64 by cold water stream 66 from cold water supply source 68. Cold water stream 66 can enter divert cooler 64 at temperature T5 (e.g., about 85° F.), and exit as stream 70 having a temperature T6 (e.g., about 125° F.). Stream 70 can then be sent to a cold water return 72. Cold water return 72 can comprise heat transfer apparatus (not shown) wherein stream 70 can be cooled until it reaches temperature T5. Cold water stream 66, stream 70, cold water return 72 and cold water supply source 68 can comprise a closed loop.
As shown in FIG. 1, hot water stream 74 from hot water supply source 76 can be fed to heater 40. Hot water stream 74 can enter heater 40 at temperature T7 (e.g., about 210° F.) and exit as stream 78 having temperature T8 that is lower than temperature T7. Stream 78 can be sent to hot water return 80. Hot water return 80 can comprise heat transfer apparatus (not shown) wherein stream 78 can be heated until it reaches temperature T7. Hot water stream 74, stream 78, hot water return 80 and hot water supply source 76 can comprise a closed loop.
As shown in FIG. 1, a second hot water supply source 82 can feed hot water stream 84 having a temperature T9 (e.g., about 210° F.) to heater 86. Hot water stream 84 can enter heater 86 at temperature T9, and exit as stream 88 at a temperature T10 that is lower than temperature T9. Stream 88 can be sent to hot water return 90. Hot water return 90 can comprise heat transfer apparatus (not shown) wherein stream 88 can be heated until it reaches temperature T9. Hot water stream 84, stream 88, hot water return 90 and hot water supply source 82 can comprise a closed loop.
As shown in FIG. 1, process water 92 from water source 16 can be fed to heater 86, wherein it is heated from a temperature T11 (e.g., ambient temperature) to a temperature T12 (e.g., 85-95° F.) that is higher than T11. Process water 92 can be sent to tanks 12, 20 and 26 as may be desired.
The conventional systems and methods require large blend tanks in order to keep an available supply of blend in the balance tank 36 for subsequent thermal treatment in the hold product loop 46. This conventional system has to be dedicated to a single flavor and hence each line can only make one flavor at a time. Typically, a plant may have 2 to 8 lines with each line producing single flavor each.
When it is desired to change the flavor of the product being treated in a conventional system, a large volume of product, starting from the batch blending to the filler discharge has to be emptied and flushed with hot water. This is followed by a new flavor product, which has to achieve a “thermal” steady state and the “water commingled stream” has to be discarded.